Sequentially operated plural valves for gas duct



May 14, 1968 M. J. MCCULLOUGH 3,382,895

SEQUENTIALLY OPERATED PLURAL VALVES FOR GAS DUCT Filed Dec. 10, 1966 4 0I INVENTOR.

mas/mu a. mcuuouan A r t arney United States Patent 3,382,895SEQUENTIALLY GPERATED PLURAL VALVES FOR GAS DUCT Marshall 5. McCullough,Chicago, 1ll., assignor to United States Steei Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 512,999 4 Claims.(Cl. 137-63015) The present invention relates to a valve especiallysuitable for use in vacuum lines. More particularly, the inventionconcerns a valve so constructed as to permit installation in either ahorizontal or vertical position. Still more particularly, the inventionrelates to a vacuum valve such as those associated with vacuummetal-casting equipment.

Valves presently in use in vacuum metal-casting have two majordrawbacks. Excessive dirt and dust present in the gases being drawn fromthe chambers may bind the drive mechanism and thus prevent the valvefrom operating as necessary. Moreover, full closure of the valve mayalso be prevented by the particles of dirt or dust and the valve maythus fail to provide a vacuum tight seal. The second drawback caused bythe excessive dirt and dust is the necessity for frequent removal of thevalves and component parts for cleaning to minimize the trouble causedby the dirt in the system.

Because of unique requirements, valves often have to be designedindividually. Moreover, many valves can only be used in the verticalposition because they include valve plates suspended by cables or otherstructures requiring gravity forces to be operative.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages and provides foroperation in both horizontal and vertical positions. According to theinvention, there is provided a valve adaptable for use in vacuum lineswhich comprises a housing and a valve plate seat fixedly disposed withinthe housing. The valve plate seat may for example, be fastened orsecured to a flange projecting from the housing around the interiorthereof. The valve plate seat surrounds the passageway through theinterior of the housing. A valve plate is also provided which ispivotally secured at one end to the housing and is adapted to engage thevalve plate seat in a gas-tight relationship when the valve is closed.At least one pilot valve is provided in the valve plate and the pilotvalve comprises a pivotally mounted pilot valve plate and acorresponding pilot valve plate seat which surrounds an aperture in thevalve plate. The pilot valve plate has a cam surface connected theretowhich is adapted to extend through the aperture in the valve plate whenthe pilot valve is closed and the pilot valve plate is in gas-tightrelationship with p the pilot valve plate seat. There is also providedmeans to urge the cam through the aperture to disengage the pilot valveplate from the pilot valve plate seat and thereby open the pilot valve.The latter means also serves to open the valve plate and urge it awayfrom the valve plate seat.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the appendeddrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the valve of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the valve taken along lines II-II ofFIGURE 1.

As can be seen in the drawings, a vertical shaped flat bottom housing isadapted to be employed in a vacuum line and serves to contain the valveassembly. The housing 10 has at one end of an annular support 12 for theO ring valve seat 13 which is of circular cross section in theembodiment shown, for valve plate 14. The valve plate 14 is providedwith a plurality of pilot valve openings 16 that are sealed by pilotvalve plates 18 hinged at ice 20 for movement between open and closedpositions and which seat on small 0 ring seats 19 provided for thatpurpose. The pilot valves are provided to partially equalize thepressure prior to fully opening the valve. Each plate 18 has a cam 22that extends through an opening 16 when the plate is in the closedposition. When the valve is closed, the cams 22 contact a roller 24journaled between parallel rods 26 connected to a shaft 28 which is inturn journaled in the housing 10. The shaft 28 is provided with suitableseals 29 to provide a hermetic seal at the sections of the housing 10through which the shaft extends. A guide 30 is connected to the bottomof valve plate 14 and the roller 24 is positioned between the guide 30and the bottom surface of the valve plate.

In FIGURE 2, the valve is shown in the closed position; the dotted lineform shows the valveas it appears in the open position. The valve plate14 may be raised to open the valve in the following manner.

The shaft 28 is rotated (clockwise in this embodiment) to cause theroller 24 journaled between the ends of parallel rods 26 to move thepilot valve plate 18 to the opened position, thereby uncovering theopenings 16 by contact of the roller 24 against the cams 22 connected tothe plates 13. The uncovering of openings 16 partially equalizes thepressure against the valve plate and permits valve plate 14 to be openedby the continued rotation of the shaft 28 which causes roller 24 tocontact the valve plate 14 and rotates it clockwise about hinges 32 intothe opened position shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 2. The valve plate14 is closed by rotating the shaft 28 in the opposite direction(counterclockwise) to bring the roller 24 into contact with the guide 30and cause the valve plate to pivot into the closed position shown inFIGURE 2.

The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 2 illustrateshow the vacuum valve may be be adapted for use in a vacuum line. In theexample shown, the vacuum valve housing 16 is inserted in a vacuum lineduct 46 and is fastened thereto by connection of flanges 15 and 15a toconnecting flanges 42 and 44 of the vacuum line duct 40. Thisarrangement is a simple manner of incorporating the vacuum valve into anexisting vacuum line. All that is required is that a section of vacuumline duct 4% is removed and the housing 10 of the vacuum valve isprovided with connecting flanges at both ends thereof which are used tomount the valve within the line. As shown, connecting flanges 15 and 15aare bolted to flanges 42 and 44 of the vacuum line duct.

The valve plate 14 can be constructed of any suitable material such assteel. It is only necessary that the plate conform to the interiorconfiguration of the valve. The O ring valve seat can similarly beconstructed of any suitable material and can be welded to the valve seatsupporting flange 12 or simply positioned in a recess provided for it inthe flange surface. Desirably, the valve seat 13 is constructed of ahard material which will not deform readily in use.

It is also apparent that various configurations and enclosures may beaccommodated with the valve assembly of the type described herein. Inaddition, although the valve is particularly useful in vacuum lines asdescribed, it is apparent that the valve may be used in any gas line.

I claim:

1. A valve, adaptable for use in a vacuum line, comprising a housing, a.valve plate seat fixedly disposed within said housing and surrounding apassageway therethrough, a valve plate pivotally secured at one endthereof and adapted to engage said valve plate seat in gastightrelationship, at least one pilot valve positioned within said valveplate, said pilot valve comprising a pivotally mounted pilot valve plateand a corresponding pilot valve plate seat surrounding an aperture insaid valve plate, said pilot valve plate having a cam surface connectedthereto and adapted to extend through said aperture when said pilotvalve is closed and said pilot valve plate is in gas-tight relationshipWith said pilot valve plate seat, means to urge said eam through saidaperture thereby disengaging said pilot valve plate from said pilotvalve plate seat and opening said pilot valve, said last named meansalso being adapted to urge said valve plate away from said valve plateseat after opening said pilot valve.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said means to urge said cam ofsaid pilot valve plate through said aperture in said valve plate todisengage said pilot valve plate from said pilot valve plate seat and tothereby open said pilot valve includes a rotatable shaft and meansresponsive to the rotation of said shaft which engage said cam and urgesaid cam through said aperture to open said pilot valve, and uponopposite rotation of said shaft, allows said cam to be reinserted intosaid aperture thereby permitting said pilot valve to close.

3. A valve according to claim 2, wherein said means responsive to therotation of said rotatable shaft upon continued rotation of said shaftafter urging said pilot 4; valve plate cam through said aperture in saidvalve plate then bears against said valve plate and urges said valveaway from said valve plate seat to open said valve.

4. A valve according to claim 3 including guide means which cooperatewith said means responsive to said rotatable shaft to close said valveby bringing said valve plate into seating engagement with said valveplate seat upon rotation of said rotatable shaft in a direction oppositeto the direction of rotation which opens said valve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,794,830 3/1931 Benger 137-63015X 2,710,737 6/1955 'Schaupp 251298 X 2,796,082 6/1957 Green 137-630.152,879,799 3/1959 Jansen 137630.15 X 3,035,595 5/1962 Beason 137630.15 X3,136,338 6/1964 Hamer l37630.14 3,313,318 4/1967 Lyman 137630.153,075,539 1/1963 Yoder 13724O CLARENCE R. GORDON, Primary Examiner.

1. A VALVE, ADAPTABLE FOR USE IN A VACUUM LINE, COMPRISING A HOUSING, AVALVE PLATE SEAT FIXEDLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND SURROUNDING APASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH, A VALVE PLATE PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE ENDTHEREOF AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID VALVE PLATE SEAT IN GASTIGHTRELATIONSHIP, AT LEAST ONE PILOT VALVE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID VALVEPLATE, SAID PILOT VALVE COMPRISING A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PILOT VALVE PLATEAND A CORRESPONDING PILOT VALVE PLATE SEAT SURROUNDING AN APERTURE INSAID VALVE PLATE, SAID PILOT VALVE PLATE HAVING A CAM SURFACE CONNECTEDTHERETO AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID APERTURE WHEN